ALBAWABA- India's Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sparked widespread outrage on Monday after he was seen removing the hijab of a newly appointed AYUSH doctor during a government, triggering accusations of cultural insensitivity and violation of personal boundaries.
The incident occurred at a public event at Patna’s Bapu Sabhagar auditorium, where Mr. Kumar was distributing appointment letters to more than 1,000 AYUSH practitioners.
Video footage circulating online shows the 74-year-old chief minister reaching for the face veil of Nusrat Parveen, a Muslim doctor, as she stepped forward to receive her appointment letter. Ms. Parveen appeared visibly uncomfortable and recoiled as the moment drew uneasy applause from the audience.
Opposition parties reacted sharply. The Congress described the act as “utterly disrespectful,” saying it damaged Bihar’s image, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) accused Mr. Kumar of repeated lapses in judgment. The incident quickly went viral.
The episode has also raised concerns within Bihar’s Muslim community, which constitutes about 20% of the state’s population and is a key voter base for Mr. Kumar’s Janata Dal (United).
This gesture showed the increased disregard for Islamic norms of modesty and women’s autonomy from top Indian officials, potentially straining communal relations in a politically sensitive state ahead of elections.
While the JD(U) sought to downplay the incident as a “benign gesture,” calls for a public apology have intensified, with commentators warning that such actions risk deepening social divisions and eroding public trust.
Nitish Kumar, the Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister. Born in 1951, he first became chief minister in 2000 and gained prominence after leading the NDA to power in 2005, focusing on infrastructure, law and order, and welfare measures that reshaped Bihar’s governance.
Despite repeatedly breaking and rejoining the BJP-led NDA, including his latest return in January 2024, Kumar has retained influence by appealing to women and backward classes.
In the November 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, he led the NDA to a landslide victory with 202 of 243 seats, paving the way for his record tenth swearing-in as chief minister on November 20, 2025.
